HarmonQuest

The Cinefamily ventures into darkness, into an age of great kingdoms and awesome magic, where one man dares to fight the pitch-black evils of sorcery with the might of his wit — the man they call Dan Harmon. This is his HarmonQuest. Throughout August, Harmon (creator of Community, and co-host/Mayor of the “Harmontown” podcast) will host live role-playing game sessions with very special guests, followed by screenings of classic “sword-and-sorcery” themed films. Plus, we have a tantalizing program of bonus screenings to augment the campaign! Prepare to level-up with comedians like Patton Oswalt, Blake Anderson, and Chris Hardwick, plus creative minds like Rob Schrab and SFX creaturemaker Phil Tippett, as the Cinefamily presents a celebration of RPGs and the fantasy films inspired by them.

EIF: HarmonQuest - Festival Edition (feat. Danny Pudi & Steve Agee!)

Unadultered nerd bliss!

8/17/2013 - 2:30PM

Community creator Dan Harmon’s weekly podcast Harmontown is unadulterated nerd bliss, thanks in no small part to Harmon’s raw, confessional storytelling style — and thanks in humongous part to the majesty of Dungeons & Dragons, through which Harmon and his assembled comedian guests go questing at the finale of every episode. With the aid of his dedicated DungeonMaster and a truckload of booze, Harmon has turned the once-cloistered, homebound tradition of role-playing games into a audience spectacular. For HarmonQuest 2013, Dan, joined by hand-picked (and well-liquored) special guests, will take to the Cinefamily stage for a special live “off-podcast” D&D session — plus, these Cinefamily installments of the game will be recorded for a new animated version of the series. For this festival edition, Dan’s fellow gameplayers will be Danny Pudi and Steve Agee!

HarmonQuest (Aug. 10th, 9PM, plus "Excalibur"!)

Dan Harmon live, plus special guests!

8/10/2013 - 9PM

HARMONQUEST – 9:00pmCommunity creator Dan Harmon’s weekly podcast Harmontown is unadulterated nerd bliss, thanks in no small part to Harmon’s raw, confessional storytelling style — and thanks in humongous part to the majesty of Dungeons & Dragons, through which Harmon and his assembled comedian guests go questing at the finale of every episode. With the aid of his dedicated DungeonMaster and a truckload of booze, Harmon has turned the once-cloistered, homebound tradition of role-playing games into a audience spectacular. For this installment of HarmonQuest 2013, Dan, joined by hand-picked special guest PATTON OSWALT, will take to the Cinefamily stage for a special live “off-podcast” D&D session — plus, these Cinefamily installments of the game will be recorded for a new animated version of the series!

EXCALIBUR – approx. 10:00pm
After the one-two punch of Zardoz and Exorcist II: The Heretic — two of Seventies commercial cinema’s most outlandish, boundary-stretching efforts — filmmaker John Boorman collided most awesomely with the Eighties upon the release of the very R-rated Excalibur, the screen’s most intelligent, accurate treatment of the King Arthur legend. The cast is fantastic (featuring Gabriel Byrne, Helen Mirren and Nicol Williamson in one of his best-ever performances), and the visuals are out of this world. Constructed like an elaborate dream, Excalibur is bewildering in its misty construction — and, of course, there are the battle sequences: gritty, bloody, and powerful accomplishments that have largely influenced such later films as Braveheart and The 13th Warrior. Not a film for all tastes (particularly the prudish), this is nonetheless a testament to its director’s ability to combine artistic achievement with lavish entertainment.
Dir. John Boorman, 1981, DCP, 140 min.

Watch the trailer for “Excalibur”!

HarmonQuest (Aug. 10th, 4PM, plus "Zero Charisma"!)

Dan Harmon live, plus special guests!

8/10/2013 - 4PM

HARMONQUEST – 4:00pmCommunity creator Dan Harmon’s weekly podcast Harmontown is unadulterated nerd bliss, thanks in no small part to Harmon’s raw, confessional storytelling style — and thanks in humongous part to the majesty of Dungeons & Dragons, through which Harmon and his assembled comedian guests go questing at the finale of every episode. With the aid of his dedicated DungeonMaster and a truckload of booze, Harmon has turned the once-cloistered, homebound tradition of role-playing games into a audience spectacular. For HarmonQuest 2013, Dan, joined by hand-picked (and well-liquored) special guests, will take to the Cinefamily stage for a special live “off-podcast” D&D session — plus, these Cinefamily installments of the game will be recorded for a new animated version of the series!

“Captures the tail end of a culture in which specialized dice, character sheets and hand-painted figurines were the gateway to elaborate flights of imagination” – Peter DeBruge, Variety

First-time directors Katie Graham and Andrew Matthews offer one of the most relevant, empathic examination of the genuine hardships of being a nerd since Freaks & Geeks went off the air. Heavy-set, tried-and-true nerd Scott (Sam Eidson) lives with his grandmother, is into heavy metal and the custom-made, intricate D&D-styled tabletop RPG of which he is the ultimate game master. This passionate, yet difficult soul’s will is put through the ultimate test when his new nemesis — sociable, successful, Ray Ban-clad hipster-nerd Miles — joins his weekly game sessions, forever upsetting the dynamic of Scott’s fragile alpha-nerd fiefdom. Genuinely funny and subtly acted, this poignant, layered character study is a nerd dramedy for the ages, utterly endearing and as heartbreaking as not getting that goddamn 20 when it’s your turn to roll the dice. Screening introduced by Chris Hardwick (Nerdist)! (Special thanks to Fantasia Fest for their synopsis text.)
Dirs. Katie Graham & Andrew Matthews, 2013, digital presentation, 86 min.

Watch the trailer for “Zero Charisma”!

Unicornucopia (feat. "The Last Unicorn" & "Legend"!)

A double dose of single-horned fantasy!

8/9/2013 - 8PM

THE LAST UNICORN – 8:00pm
The eager, heart-doodlin’ lil’ sister with orthodontic headgear in the household of Dark Crystals, Legends and Secret of NIMHs, The Last Unicorn sparkles like the glimmering rainbow trails of a young girl’s dreams in fabulous 35mm. This neo-folk feminist odyssey, animated by the Japanese group of artists that later became the Studio Ghibli of Princess Mononoke fame, hits all the major chords of a fondly remembered fantasy epic. Replete with songs by rock group America and featuring the voice talents of Mia Farrow, Jeff Bridges, Christopher Lee, Angela Lansbury and Alan Arkin, converge to create a viewing experience akin to staring at that trippy poster in your teenage squeeze’s bedroom after smokin’ yer best stash.
Dirs. Jules Bass & Arthur Rankin, Jr., 1982, 35mm, 84 min.

LEGEND – approx. 10:00pm
After the one-two knockout of Alien and Blade Runner>, director Ridley Scott continued his tradition of creating impossibly well-designed, hermetically-sealed worlds with this astounding visionary jaunt into the realms of the mythical, with unicorns (natch!) playing a central role in the balance of the universe. As the Lord of Darkness (Tim Curry, decked out in one of the most incredible prosthetic makeup jobs in fantasy film history) orders his goblin minions to snatch both princess Mia Sara (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) and the unicorn horns that keep the world in daylight, it’s up to Tom Cruise’s young forest-dweller to travel through the underworld and rescue them. Delivering some of the most iconic fantasy images of its era — thanks in part to the superb makeup effects work by The Thing’s Rob Bottin — Legend has remained a perennial favorite, with lush tones and expansive, imaginative vistas that can only best be witnessed on the big screen. 94-minute European theatrical cut!
Dir. Ridley Scott, 1985, 35mm, 94 min.

Dragonslayer (brand-new HD master!)

Today one can barely imagine Disney and Paramount banding together to co-produce a realistic, adult-oriented fantasy film — but so it was in the grand sword and sorcery heyday of 1981, when Dragonslayer originally clawed its way into theaters. With stunning effects by ILM’s master Phil Tippett and his Empire Strikes Back team, Dragonslayer is truly all about the dragon: the absurdly well-named Vermithrax Pejorative. Easily the most elaborate flying terror of the pre-CG era, Dragonslayer combined practical effects, a hydraulic forty-foot dragon model, and sixteen stop-motion puppets to create one of the most realistic scaly beasts ever to blast into film history. As if that wasn’t enough, authentic locations and costuming, as well as a lush medieval score, elevate this tale of wizards and damsels to bonafide classic status. A dedicated covenant of followers lovingly waxed over Dragonslayer in the hazy VHS era — and now, it soars to us in a brand-new HD master, created especially for our shows of the film by Paramount!
Dir. Matthew Robbins, 1981, digital presentation, 108 min.

HarmonQuest (Aug. 3rd, plus "Mazes and Monsters"!)

Dan Harmon live, plus special guests!

8/3/2013 - 8:30PM

HARMONQUEST – 8:30pmCommunity creator Dan Harmon’s weekly podcast Harmontown is unadulterated nerd bliss, thanks in no small part to Harmon’s raw, confessional storytelling style — and thanks in humongous part to the majesty of Dungeons & Dragons, through which Harmon and his assembled comedian guests go questing at the finale of every episode. With the aid of his dedicated DungeonMaster and a truckload of booze, Harmon has turned the once-cloistered, homebound tradition of role-playing games into a audience spectacular. For this installment of HarmonQuest 2013, Dan, joined by hand-picked special guest BLAKE ANDERSON (Workaholics), will take to the Cinefamily stage for a special live “off-podcast” D&D session — plus, these Cinefamily installments of the game will be recorded for a new animated version of the series!

MAZES AND MONSTERS – approx 10:00pm
Starring a brash, emotional 26-year old Tom Hanks in his first big role, Mazes & Monsters is a monolith of cultural misunderstanding, full of so much campy goodness that you’ll need a bag of holding to contain all the comedy gold found therein. Created at the peak of D&D’s popularity amidst a media firestorm of accusations that the game promoted satanism and suicide, this made-for-TV movie drew upon on a wildly inaccurate newspaper story about a college student who allegedly disappeared into subterranean tunnels under live-action D&D-related circumstances. Anyway you roll your die, this anti-roleplay scare film will sustain your laughter long enough to reduce you to a shambling mound. With a sensationalized “afterschool special” mentality permeating both the film’s bizarre hallucination sequences and outrageous acting choices, Mazes & Monsters is deliriously content in its depiction of its mentally stunted “maze controllers”, the hopelessly (and hilariously) tormented young souls with an inability to separate reality from the sinister world of RPGs. Prepare to level up, as Mazes & Monsters casts a 9th level charm spell on your tuchus.
Dir. Steven Hilliard Stern, 1982, analog presentation, 100 min.

HEAVY MIDNITES: Deathstalker & Deathstalker II

Action, passion, F-U-N!

8/2/2013 - 10:15PM

Join us as we venture to an age of great kingdoms and awesome magic, where one man dared to fight the evil of sorcery with the might of his sword: the man they called Deathstalker. It’s the ultimate quest: two of the greatest ‘80s adventures paired together theatrically for the first time anywhere!

DEATHSTALKER — 10:15pm
In the wake of Conan The Barbarian, multiplexes and late night cable were forever flooded with fantastic tales featuring loinclothed heroes. But when it comes to massive amounts of nudity, violent pillaging, epic swordplay and pig-faced monsters, this Corman-produced knockoff knew how to spin low-budget gold, spawning countless adolescent fantasies, three sequels and the career of Hollywood starlet Lana Clarkson. Sent on a perilous expedition to save the world and recapture the throne from an evil wizard, the finely chiseled Rick Hill is Deathstalker, a Boris Vallejo painting come-to-life, short on words but skilled with a blade. It’s a fight to the death as our warrior king battles faceless hordes to save a world of bikini-clad vixens!
Dir. James Sbardellati, 1983, 35mm, 80 min. (Archival print courtesy of the Academy Film Archive)

DEATHSTALKER II — approx. midnight
A funny, fast-paced, tongue-in-cheek comedy, this in-name-only sequel is an Evil Dead II-styled classic from the days of VHS rentals, helmed by the direct-to-video king of himself, Jim Wynorski (Chopping Mall, Return of Swamp Thing). Less muscle-bound hulk and more wisecracking hero, John Terlesky here takes over the titular role. Tasked with destroying a wicked queen and her depraved sorcerer (John Lazar, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls’ “Z-Man”!) in order to return a beautiful princess (scream queen Monique Gabrielle in dual roles) to power, our hero must first use his arsenal of puns and one-liners to face off with a legion of Amazon women (including G.L.O.W. goddess Matilda the Hun) and fight an army of the undead. Deathstalker II is twice the action, twice the passion and twice the F-U-N!
Dir. Jim Wynorski, 1987, 35mm, 85 min. (Archival print courtesy of the Academy Film Archive)

Watch the trailer for “Deathstalker”!

Watch the trailer for “Deathstalker II”!

An Evening With Phil Tippett (feat. "Dragonslayer"!)

Industrial Light & Magic genius!

8/1/2013 - 8PM

AN EVENING WITH PHIL TIPPETT — 8:00pm
Phil Tippett: the man who tamed the tauntaun from The Empire Strikes Back, squashed the bugs of Starship Troopers, built the robots for RoboCop and released the rancor in Return of the Jedi. A California native, Tippett first made a name for himself heading Industrial Light & Magic’s animation department for Empire & Jedi, pioneering the stop-motion technique “go motion,” which enabled realistic motion blur through analog means. Advancing the medium with every new project, Tippett’s exotic effects work has been one of the greatest highlights of films like Howard The Duckand Dragonslayer — and, most impressively, he transitioned seamlessly into the world of early CGI as the “Dinosaur Supervisor” on Jurassic Park. We’re honored to welcome a talent as towering as his monstrous creations to the Cinefamily stage for a career-spanning Q&A, moderated by Rob Schrab!

Today one can barely imagine Disney and Paramount banding together to co-produce a realistic, adult-oriented fantasy film — but so it was in the grand sword and sorcery heyday of 1981, when Dragonslayer originally clawed its way into theaters. With stunning effects by ILM’s master Phil Tippett and his Empire Strikes Back team, Dragonslayer is truly all about the dragon: the absurdly well-named Vermithrax Pejorative. Easily the most elaborate flying terror of the pre-CG era, Dragonslayer combined practical effects, a hydraulic forty-foot dragon model, and sixteen stop-motion puppets to create one of the most realistic scaly beasts ever to blast into film history. As if that wasn’t enough, authentic locations and costuming, as well as a lush medieval score, elevate this tale of wizards and damsels to bonafide classic status. A dedicated covenant of followers lovingly waxed over Dragonslayer in the hazy VHS era — and now, it soars to us in a brand-new HD master, created especially for our shows of the film by Paramount!
Dir. Matthew Robbins, 1981, digital presentation, 108 min.